Lazarus
by KathyBoPeep
Summary: Cordelia spends some time in Misty's cabin. A revival story.
1. Lazarus

The soulful seance of the Louisiana swamp rose in a sensory crescendo, enveloping anyone listening into it's natural lullaby. Cicadas shrieked while the swamp toads called out in a purposeful baritone. The fireflies illuminated the still waters, casting an eerie glow that made the entire swamp look like a luxurious pool.

The simplicity of the slow churning waters were calming. The slow rise and fall of the waves against the banks struck Cordelia as sort of metaphor for human life. Right now the water was sleeping. If you'd asked Misty Day, she'd tell you something about how the "the swamp held more life than mos' of the people on this earth." to her, the Earth was "a magical woman and she cared for her creatures as any proper mama would." Misty did that often; she would see the magic in the simplest of things.

But in this case, no amount of enchanted mud or resurgence could conjure the swamp witch out of a pile of ash that sat between Cordelia's feet as she stood looking out of the dark Bayou.

"You did tell me that I would come to appreciate the swamp." Cordelia bent down and snatched the urn out of the mud, feeling foolish to even think that the swamp would grant her any favors. This was not her home, this place was not meant for her. She was an intruder and it would be wise to mind her place.

Perhaps Cordelia's anger at the swamp was misplaced.

She'd failed at so many things in her life: being a witch and a wife were the two glaringly obvious ones. Motherhood, leadership, and interpersonal relationships were some of the smaller, yet still deeply important roles she'd managed to bungle.

With a defeated sigh, she padded back into the cabin and sat timidly on Misty's bed. Was it still her bed or did it belong the swamp?. Did necromancers have beneficiaries? She laid back against the rough sheets and actively did not fix her skirt that had ridden up a little too much to be considered classy. It was a small act of defiance, but right now that's all she could handle. Besides, who was she trying to impress? Everyone in her life that held a piece of her heart was dead. Finally she decided to just shimmy her skirt off and kick it across the room. It flitted to the ground and landed on top of a broken radio.

A warm breeze fluttered through the cabin, making the candlelight dance across the wooden beams like small spirits parading about. It was dreadfully humid, something she'd forgotten about after spending much of her life in air conditioned houses and luxury vehicles. Her back started to sweat against the sheets of Misty's bed, making her shirt stick and grow heavier throughout the night. With defeated, lifeless fingers, she unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall to the floor - wrinkles be damned.

She laid there in a chemise, a picture of formality and class, against a set of repurposed sheets and hand-sewn pillows. She didn't belong here. This was Misty's bed, her cabin, her safe place. But, right now Cordelia needed to be as close to Misty as she could. Short of traveling to hell, which as appealing as it sounded was not an option, the bayou sanctuary of her favorite swamp princess would have to do.

It was obvious to Cordelia that this type of mourning was not proper for a simple acquaintance. But Misty Day was far from simple and further than an acquaintance. There was not a word that she knew of to describe a bond that transcended mere friendship. Their souls had bonded but neither of the two had ever broached the subject. Were they just friends? Were they simply members of the same coven?

Misty Day was an ethereal benevolent light who's luminescence was osmosed to anyone lucky enough to be near her. A beacon of resurgence, the Queen of the bayou was anything but simple. Naive? Maybe a little bit - but if only because the absolute purity of her existence was omnipresent.

And acquaintance?

Hardly.

From the first moment their hands intertwined in the doorway of the Academy - the slight trembling and rough patches of dirt still caked to her fingers sent Cordelia into a vision that twisted her heart and nearly made her cry out in rage against the terrible mob that had targeted this divine being in front her. It wasn't until later on that night when she could hear the witch crying in her shower that Cordelia even realized just how traumatized Misty truly was. It had taken a lot of late nights in the greenhouse and a lot of too-long embraces before Misty would even let her guard down long enough to tell Cordelia about her past. Every brush of hands on shoulders or congratulatory high-fives brought more insight into Misty's life to the point where Cordelia felt uncomfortable.

The first four days that the swamp witch had stayed at Mrs. Robichaux's, she'd slept on a futon in Cordelia's room. At first, the nightmares she had would wake the whole floor. Cordelia surmised that being burned alive by your peers was not something one just got over. So, on the fifth night the supreme patted the spot on the edge of her bed and told Misty that she missed sleeping next to someone (even though Hank hadn't been there in a very, very long time). When Misty sat precariously on the edge of her bed and looked apprehensive, Cordelia waited until she could see her relax before laying against the pillows and closing her eyes.

It soon became their nightly routine. Misty would meditate to Stevie while Cordelia finished up whatever work she needed to do for the Academy. Eventually one of them would finish what they were doing and they'd get ready for bed. They'd chit chat in the dark for a little while, the intimacy of the act not lost to Cordelia.

"Ya know, I ain't too good with people no more. I'm sorry if this is weird for you. I…-"

"Misty it's..."

"-I just don't do so well when I'm alone no more. I did it when I had'ta."

"Misty, you don't owe me an explanation. I understand."

"Ya do?"

"Every person I've ever loved has wanted nothing more than for me to be dead."

"Gosh, Miss Cordelia, that's somethin' terrible. I don't know what'd be worse, not havin' anyone around to love ya, or not havin' anyone period."

"Me neither, Misty Day. But, I don't think we have to worry about that anymore."

"I'd reckon."

Every minute of her time at the Academy, Misty cloaked them with a blanket of peace. Cordelia thought even the plants felt the love radiating from the witch. Perhaps it was fitting that she'd been locked away from society under the guise of false death for so long. Every time someone was exposed to Misty, they fell a little more in love with her.

Or maybe that was just what happened to Cordelia.

The cicadas startled her out of her reverie and she jumped up. Her cheeks warmed as she blushed in embarrassment. She really should be getting back to the Academy - she'd told the girls that she was just going out for a stroll.

She looked around the cabin for anything to wear that didn't involve damp silk or pantyhose and smiled when she found one of Misty's long dresses in a chest. With minimal tears, she embraced the fabric and inhaled the scent. She put the dress on and smiled at how strange she must look with her ruined makeup and swamp hair. On her way out of the cabin, she stopped at the edge of the swamp and looked to the big silver moon watching over her.

Something deep in the recesses of her mind told her that Misty belonged here. This was where she had died, revived, and was dead once more. A cool breeze, different from the normal New Orleans wind swelled as Cordelia lifted the lid of the urn and tipped it over the waters. The ash floated and coated the water.

Tears poured down Cordelia's face as she said goodbye to a lost chance at happiness. Maybe some day they'd meet again, but for now she trudged away from the swamp with an empty urn and empty heart.

 _All your life you've never seen_

 _A woman taken by the wind_

 _Would you stay if she promised you heaven?_

 _Will you ever win?_


	2. Skylark

If you'd asked Cordelia Foxx what made her happy a little more than a year ago, she would probably say something like "Organization, cleanliness, and a nice Chardonnay." However, given the ridiculous events that had happened in the past year, her answers would probably be along the lines of "Stevie Nicks, a nice floral print, and a tall glass of sweet tea." Oh, and she'd probably tell you that her name was now Cordelia Goode. With a genuine smile of course.

Well, she still was excited by the thought of a nice Chardonnay, but there were things a smidge more dear to her heart nowadays. In the few months or so since she'd gone public with Mrs. Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies (Now rebranded to simply Mrs. Robichaux's) the overwhelming influx of attention had been thrust upon the meager council. There were no more "Days off" or "Weekend Getaways". Those terms had been replaced by "Overnighters" and "Working Lunches".

She almost missed the peace of the small Academy from years prior, but one glance into the common room was enough to remind her why all those overnights were worth it. At any given time there would be 40-50 women and girls of all ages, colors, sizes, and backgrounds chattering away about things ranging from boy bands to what herbs they'd decided to plant in their section of the greenhouse. Never mind the other 150 that could be found elsewhere. Their home had expanded quite a bit.

The greenhouse, actually, was one of the major renovations that had been made in response to their growing publicity. While their previous enclosement held some fond, fond memories. The space was no longer big enough to accomodate all the pupils that they housed there. The properties on either side of them had gone up for sale quickly after their fame. So, in an effort to expand, Cordelia used her late husband's savings to purchase both plots of land and expand their lavish home into a full-fledged campus.

The smaller home to the left was gutted and remodeled to create the new greenhouse with an apothecary's chambers in the basement while the former greenhouse connected to the Academy was turned into a private chamber for Kyle - who now was the official head of security and the property's gardener. Something about working with plants instead of people made the reanimated man much easier to be around. Actually, the thought appealed to her too, even if it physically pained her to look out over the expanse of the garden. People were cruel, falling in love with them was even worse. During the darkest of days, she truly wished to live in the garden; completely cut off from all human contact.

It wasn't that Cordelia didn't appreciate the power she'd been granted after being rendered powerless by various people and situations. Quite the opposite, actually. She thrived with the officiality of her title of Supreme, along with Headmistress (and occasional Ice Princess depending on who was talking about her). She was a natural leader and a self-taught fighter. Not much in this cruel and devastating world could shake her. She'd been to literal hell and back and lost more than just love in her lifetime. She very likely could write a book about all the things she'd seen even in the last year. But, there's no time for hobbies when running an Academy. She was too busy wrangling a small horde of hormone-driven magical beings and that was a true challenge.

However, the Goode's were nothing if not powerful. Even if the thought of being similar to Fiona repulsed her, at least she had genetics to thank, for her unquenchable thirst to be the best. That, and a competitive streak longer than the Mississippi River made Cordelia pretty unstoppable.

This overcast Saturday morning, smack in the middle of October, found the headmistress in the newfangled greenhouse. It had become a weekly tradition of sorts, to meditate to the any Fleetwood Mac album from start to finish. Today she had settled for a large knit sweater and a pair of sweats that had sat in her underwear drawer for years. Finally, after years of dressing to the nines, Cordelia realized that a little simplicity once in a while hurt no one.

The staccato pitter patter of the heavy drops on the glass panes lulled her into a sense of serenity. The muscles in her back slowly relaxed in a sort of ripple, this nearly made her cry out in joy. She didn't realize how much stress she carried in her back and the feeling of letting that go was euphoric. Next came her shoulders and eventually her mind cleared enough to achieve the pure stillness she aimed for.

After a couple of minutes, she felt the presence of someone approaching the home. Seconds later, the squelch of heavy boots on soggy soil got closer until she heard a soft rapping against the door. Cordelia sighed and looked at her watch. Ninety minutes? Not too bad. Slowly, she untangled herself and hissed when her feet hit the cool cement ground. She flipped the record player off as she made her way to the front door. A small peek through the peephole showed none other than Zoe, still in her pajamas, on the front stairs. She smiled up at the door expectantly and Cordelia sighed. Well, she could only escape from her duties for so long.

She opened the heavy door wide and ushered the younger witch in. Zoe walked in and looked around nervously, which only made Cordelia more anxious.

"I'm, uh, sorry to bother you Cordelia. I know that you were doing your weekend thing. But, uh, one of the older women came to Queenie and I this morning. She was pretty shaken up over some dreams she'd had. She called them premonitions, but I don't want to assign importance to them yet." Zoe shifted her balance to her other foot, pivoting her heel back and forth.

"What did she see? Impending doom?" Cordelia motioned towards the deep burgundy couch that she'd just been meditating on.

They both sat down cross legged on each end of the couch and stared at each other. Cordelia studied the face of the woman in front of her. The young witch looked much older than when she'd arrived not too long ago. She seemed less jovial. Her eyes had lost that sparkle that Cordelia had coveted when they'd first been introduced. Truly, it had been a hell of a time and she could only wonder how hard it would be to arrive at the Academy as a fresh faced young adult and eventually become a council member. Maybe she should be a little more lenient on Zoe and Queenie.

"Okay. Don't freak out, okay? I honestly don't think it's that important." Zoe held her hands out to her.

Cordelia accepted the comfort and twined her fingers in with the witch across from her. She smiled as the radiant energy flowed between them. If her anxiety wasn't a full 10 right now, she'd jot this down for a potential lesson.

"She said that she saw a skylark flying around the swamps and fending off lotsa other birds. I don't get it but she was pretty hysterical and came screeching down the stairs like a bat outta hell so I figured I'd come tell ya. I'm not sure that it means anything like I said, she was pretty upset." Zoe looked up at her, seemingly waiting for an explanation.

Cordelia mulled it over for a little bit. She did notice that Zoe was starting to adopt a small drawl from living in the south. But, that wasn't important regardless of how adorable it was.

"I don't know, Zoe. I can't really tell you. Skylarks aren't really found around here. I think the closest one was somewhere in Canada. Do you have any ideas?"

They let go of each other's hands and Cordelia sat back against the arm of the couch.

"I really don't. I thought you would. Maybe it was just a simple nightmare?" Zoe shrugged it off, stood up, and walked towards the door. "Oh well. Sorry for interrupting. I'll tell her that you'll talk to her about it later this evening?"

"Yes. That will be fine. Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Cordelia rose to face Zoe. "Why don't you take some of the girls out for an unofficial outing? It's dreary out but I'll bet they'd love to go out shopping or something. Tell Queenie to grab some of the adults and split everyone up. I don't want anyone dying of cabin fever - especially since it's going to cool down soon.

"Okay! Can I use the bus?"

Cordelia nodded and patted the small witch on the shoulder. They both took off in different directions. When she heard the door shut, the Supreme exhaled deeply trying to regain some of the calm she'd achieved before that disturbing conversation. With freshly socked feet, she padded back over to the record player and gently set the needle on the outside of the vinyl. The upbeat track of "Monday Morning" started playing. She turned up the volume and grabbed at the yoga mat tucked into the corner, right next to the rosemary and thyme.

She did the basic stretches and grunted as her muscles refused to cooperate. Where was that fluidity that she attained no more than twenty minutes ago? Why were her mind and body rushing her to do something? What was she supposed to do?

A few more songs played as she tried her damndest to control her breathing. Cordelia was at the end of her rope - obviously her inner peace was quickly dissipating.

She flopped onto her back and cringed when "Rhiannon" started playing. The song was great, it truly was. It was just painful to listen to.

Images of Misty dancing through the house like a transcendent celestial sprite fluttering about pulled at Cordelia's heartstrings. One of her greatest failures was not acknowledging and listening to just how scared Misty Day had been before performing the Seven Wonders. All it would have taken is a simple dismissal from the trials and she'd be living a vastly different life than the one she was. Of course, Cordelia had gone back to the swamp a few times since saying goodbye, hoping for a miracle. But, all it had done was turn the crack in her heart into a giant emotional crater that seemed impossible to leave.

She hummed along and tried not to cry as she curled into the fetal position on the mat. The thick texture of the mat pulled at her bare skin and she let loose the floodgates of emotions that had been building up for too long.

 _She rules her life like a fine skylark and when_

 _The sky is starless_

Cordelia's head snapped up. With a sharp inhale she mulled over what the universe had just told her. Quickly, she jumped up and sprinted out of the house and into the rain, without a single care to her state of dress.

"Zoe! Zoe!" she cried out as she ran into the main house house. She slipped on a damp pant leg and almost took out all the things on the side table. Why did she keep breaking things?

Her cries echoed off the walls and thundered all around her. She dashed in and out of a few more rooms and realized something terrible.

Everyone was gone. Because she had told them to go.

Stupid, stupid.

She ran throughout the house, looking for anyone. When she came up empty she ended up in her room, crying out for help. Outside, storms were brewing and Cordelia knew that she needed to act soon before it was too late.

She scrambled towards her closet and threw all the clothes behind her. With purpose she jerked her head to the side and a small box came flying out, nearly taking out her television. She caught it as the force knocked the wind out of her and thrust her hands into the box, she yelled out as her hands came into contact with something sharp. She felt what she was looking for and ripped the it out of the box. Blood dripped down her hand from a large cut on her palm and onto the floral fabric. Soon, the bright flowers were stained a dark sepia.

She focused her senses and felt the familiar pull of transmutation in effect. It always seemed that her body went first, followed by her innards. The whole process only lasted less than a second but the residual nausea of transmuting such a distance under such duress caught up to her as Cordelia fell to her knees in the marshy, damp mud beneath her. As she started to sink into the murky mix, she heard a singing that made her blood run cold.

With muddy feet heavier than chilled molasses, Cordelia stood and sprinted towards the cabin she knew all too well. The cries grew more frantic as she searched the small space. Pieces of fabric and loose feather rained about as the Supreme tore into any space to discover the source of the whimpering.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

With a final deep inhale of breath, Cordelia raised her wet arms to sky and cried out. With a renewed sense of focus, she prepared herself to perform divination. She closed her eyes and panned around. As she stood facing the wall of Misty's cabin that stood between her and the swamp, her inner eye spotted something out on the banks.

Cordelia stepped out of her pile of garbage and tore out of the cabin towards the swamp. Once she got closer, she noticed a few men in hunting gear, poking at something in the water with a spear fishing gun. Above them, a lone skylark screamed a heartbreaking song. It circled around them and tried to distract them.

Cordelia waved a hand and sent the men flying into the trees behind them. She ran to the bank's edge and kneeled down, praying that none of the swamp creatures decided to turn on her. She once again realized that she was on territory that was not safe for her.

She looked into the swamp, hoping that she wasn't making a huge ordeal over nothing. Hastily, she grabbed at the fibrous weeds floating aside the banks and purged her arms in, feeling for anything that could indicate she was correct. The warm water was got cooler the deeper her arms went, eventually sending a shiver throughout her body. The heaviness of her sleeves in the water kept perilously tipping her over.

After a few seconds, her hands got caught in more stringy plants. Involuntarily she gagged and nearly toppled into the waters. Above her, the sky darkened visibly and all of the birds surrounding them flew out of the trees and scattered away from them. Something was about to happen.

She tried once more to untangle her hands to no avail. So, with a heave, she drew her hands out and screamed out loud when her hands were freed and she tumbled backwards against the muddy bank. She lifted her hands and cried out when she spotted the blonde locks tangled in her fingers.

Without hesitation, she jumped into the swamp and tried to recall any of the swimming lessons she'd taken as a child. The water was too murky to see, so Cordelia focused on the sounds of the water below the surface. She heard a noise to her left and grabbed out in that general direction. Once again she felt the same hair that had been caught in her fingers before and followed them until she reached what felt like a head.

As she sunk further, she felt her lungs burn and her muscles started to cramp in the chilly waters. She struggled for a little bit longer but was quickly running out of air so she steadied her footing and grabbed onto the shoulders of the body to her left. She used all the strength she had to propel herself out of the water and screamed as an Alligator met her face to face.

Before she could even think of how to fight off the massive creature, it locked it's jaws around the body in her arms and took off towards the bank. She started to scream a spell to end it's life until she realized that it was helping her drag the body to the surface. Out of pure instinct, she grabbed onto his tail and gulped in oxygen as she broke the surface of the swamp.

She scrambled to the banks and heaved herself up and over the edge, her fingernails screamed in protest against the hard rocks. The rain continued to pour and the wind started to howl. Cordelia summoned all of her strength and hoisted the body out of the swamp and onto the shore. When she was finished, she stood, looked up at the dark sky, and screamed out in anger. In front of her was Misty, naked as the day she was born, covered in dirt and mud. The rain pelted against her pale skin, leaving red marks in their path.

Cordelia put a hand on Misty's sternum and when she felt no movement, she pounded three times. A crack rang out and Cordelia burst into tears. Why did she keep breaking everything?

She brought her face closer to Misty's, desperate to give the witch a look over. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and reconciled that if she could pull this off, she could do that anytime.

Her trembling lips were a hair's breadth away from Misty's - which were a bruised shade of blue. She whispered, the familiar chant and prayed to every deity she'd ever heard of to please answer her. After nothing happened, she tried once more and this time placed her lips on Misty's as she tried her best to revive the fallen swamp witch.

The few seconds after that were the longest Cordelia Goode had ever waited in her entire life.

She could hear each individual bullfrog bellow and the cicadas cry out in fury as the body in front of her remained still. The rain was silenced and the wind stopped completely.

As soon as the blood started to pound in her ears and the overwhelming sense of failure began to creep in, Misty started to tremble and pitch back and forth. Scared of her hurting herself, Cordelia gathered the witch in her arms and used the last bit of energy she had to transport them back into the cabin.

Once they were on solid ground, Cordelia motioned towards the candles in the room and relaxed when a bright flame emanated from each of them - unaffected by the water seeping into the room.

She took three tentative steps with Misty and laid her down in the bed, making sure that the witch was still breathing. With uncertain hands that were caked in mud and blood, Cordelia began to rub the fabric of the sheets she'd cried on more than a year ago, against Misty's cold skin. She almost felt like she was bringing a puppy to life, but on a much grander scale.

After a half hour or so of this, Cordelia noticed that she was now shivering. For once she was glad Misty lived simply; the thought of looking in a mirror sounded terrible. She looked around and found a few dresses similar to the one she'd taken one of the last times she'd been here. She grabbed one of the dress but didn't put it on. Instead, she hung it near the candles to warm and padded over to the bed to slide in behind Misty.

The chill of Misty's skin made Cordelia nearly jump off the bed. But, she continued to lay there and hoped that Misty didn't wake up and freak out from being spooned by a naked Cordelia..

She gave everything in the cabin a once over and realized there was no way she was not falling asleep after her rescue mission. Later she would explain everything to everyone. Now she would sleep and hopefully warm the icy body pressed against her enough to save her


	3. Resurgence

_Here we are at the end. I left it open for a reason. Maybe I'll come back to it soon. :)_

A sudden movement woke her up and she took a moment to try and piece together what had happened. A few seconds went by and she realized Misty, who was still in the same position but considerably warmer, was coughing something fierce.

She sat up and rolled the coughing witch onto her back and then up as she positioned her body behind the frail one in front of her. Wicked fits shook them both and Cordelia, felt powerless and began to tear up. All she could do was rub Misty's porcelain back until the coughs subsided and it became strangely quiet in the cabin.

Cordelia scooted out from behind Misty and laid her back slowly until she rested parallel with the earth once more. She looked over her cautiously and searched for any open wounds or injuries that would need to be tended to. Especially since she was pretty sure she'd cracked one of ribs as she was revived her.

A small voice whispered and Cordelia nearly broke down at the sound of it. She laid back down and faced Misty, who still stared at the dark ceiling.

"I don' think I was quite finished bakin'. My insides kinda feel like doughy," Misty said barely above a whisper. The wheeze of her voice indicated that she had something in her lungs. Probably pneumonia from being out in the swamps for so long.

Cordelia knew what she wanted to convey but couldn't get the words out. Slowly, Misty turned towards her with a grimace and brought her arms up to clasp Cordelia's hands. For a moment they just looked at each other with such contentment.

"You...you're probably bloated from being in the water." The Supreme choked out, unable to stop the tears that cascaded down her face. She felt one tickle her nose and blew it away, embarrassed. "I have no idea how long you were down there."

Misty shrugged. "I think I been down there the whole time. Maybe it's not just the mud that's magic."

"The whole time?"

Misty took a deep breath and gently squeezed her hands, "I think I been down there since ya tossed me there an' said goodbye."

Cordelia cringed at the verbalization of her actions. It sounded as if she'd just thrown Misty's remains in the swamp - no better than the ingrates that had burned her at the stake. She opened her mouth to apologize but Misty held a finger to her lips. The feeling alone warmed Cordelia's belly a few degrees.

"No darlin', it's not like that. That's what ya were s'posed to do. The swamp helped me - it helped make me whole again. I don' remember much, but I do remember tryin' ta call out ta you. But, I couldn't get outta there so I asked the Bayou ta tell ya."

"It worked! One of my girls got the message and gave it to me. Oh gosh I can't believe you're really here!" the Supreme sniffed her tears away and set her head on Misty's shoulder.

"Your girls got the message? How many girls ya got?" the swamp witch sounded surprised.

"Oh, Misty Day! I have so many. The academy is flourishing! We are full to the brim!"

"Lotsa witches?" Misty asked in awe.

"You'll get to meet them, too!"

"I will? But you jus' said that you hit capacity?"

Cordelia giggled at the way the beauty in front of her drawled out the four-syllable word. "I am, for students. But, we have room for visitors...or teachers if they're interested."

Misty's smile fell at that. "Cordelia, I don't think I'm cut out for teachin'. I mean, I don't do so well with people ya know? Being that I been away from 'em for so long."

Cordelia replied by pulling the blankets up around them and brushing errant blonde hairs out of Misty's face.

"Well we don't have to decide anything yet. You're not strong enough to travel right now. I can tell you're exhausted. Go ahead, go back to sleep. I'm going to try and see if I can find something for us to eat."

"Alright. But can I ask sumthin'?"

Cordelia nodded as she relaxed into the pillows.

"Why are we naked cuddlin' with all the candles? Didn't ya see the fireplace over there? This is kinda romantic an all."

Cordelia snorted. Of course there was a fireplace. "We were both freezing and I wanted to warm up as soon as possible before nightfall." Perhaps she should extinguish the candles considering the full-body blush she likely sported felt pretty warm.

"Okay. I'm not sayin' I didn't like it or nothin'. I was just askin' because, ya know, bein' alone for so long made me act kinda funny 'round people who are close ta me."

Cordelia hummed at that and dug further into the blankets, very close to slumber. All of a sudden something poked at her consciousness.

"Wait. You liked it?"

* * *

A surge of Cicadas singing woke Cordelia once again. She felt the chill of the empty bed next to her and immediately threw off the blankets and began searching for Misty. When she saw that she wasn't in the cabin, Cordelia began to panic. Had this all been a fever dream?

She heard a familiar humming and walked outside to see the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen: Misty Day was fully nude, standing on the edge of the swamp bank completely illuminated in narrow beams of tinsel moonlight. She danced in place as she waved her arms around and Cordelia admitted that she was inexplicably, irrevocably, unabashedly, in love with Misty Day: the Swamp Witch revived and reanimated by the Bayous of New Orleans.

Before she could say anything she heard the faint voices of her pupils in the distance. They called for her and she called back to them. She turned to get Misty's attention but the ethereal witch was no longer there.

"Ya might wanna put this on, you don't want the girls gettin' an eyeful." Misty appeared beside her fully clothed and thrust the crumpled dress from the fire out at her.

With a wink and a thoughtful nod, Cordelia slipped the fabric over her head. The fabrics felt strage against her skin. The wind blew through the dress and Cordelia finally understood why Misty wore these all the time. They were pretty comfortable compared the formal uniform she'd gotten used to wearing over the years.

When she turned around she felt Misty's head shift closer to hers. When she whispered, Cordelia visibly shivered at the contact.

"I been wantin' to do this for ages but I ain't ever gathered the courage ta do it."

Before Cordelia could respond she felt Misty's lips envelop her own. Only hours ago had they also been connected but in a very different manner. It wasn't overly aggressive or too timid. It was a lot of things but in the current moment it was just plain ol' wonderful.

She pulled away and looked at Misty, still illuminated by the moon and simply could not form the words necessary for thanking her.

"Thanks for lovin' and carin' 'bout me jus' right." Misty's drawl was extra husky when quieted and if Cordelia had heard anything more erotic in her life than she could not remember it.

"There you are!" Queenie's voice startled the pair. They both turned to look at the 40 or so separate beams of light. "We thought you went crazy and walked into the swamp! You've been gone for hours, teach. What a great examp- Hey, is that Misty?"

A series of gasps resounded around them and soon everyone clambered over to them to get a peek.

"Yes, yes it is. I have a story, but I will tell you all from the safety of the campus. Please, I just wanna go home." She smiled at Misty, who looked pretty content and downright adorable for someone who was considered dead less than 12 hours ago.

They wandered over to the gaggle of girls and headed home. They started the drive, and somewhere along the way Queenie had called Zoe to let them know that they were on their way home with a surprise and to gather the girls in the hall. When Zoe casually asked if she was bringing home food, The whole bus erupted with laughter at the sheer hilarity of it. They had no idea. Cordelia looked over at Misty, who seemed to be off in her own little world.

Once they drove down the familiar street, Cordelia felt Misty's body tense next to her. She squeezed her hand and watched the swamp witch's eyes get wider at just how much Mrs. Robichaux's Academy had changed.

"Don't worry about the greenhouse, Misty. It's not where it used to be but it's in a great spot." the Supreme calmed her as they got off of the bus.

"Well where did ya put it? Plants don' really like bein' caged in so much"

Cordelia grabbed her hand and pointed them towards the house that had formerly belonged to the Ramsays. "See that house, with the tall windows and glass roof? That's it."

"The greenhouse is attached to there now?"

"Well, sort of. The whole main floor? That's the greenhouse. It's gigantic. I can't wait for you to see it!"

"Can I?" for the first time for what seemed like ages, Misty perked up and smiled one of her trademark grins. It send waves of euphoria down Cordelia's body. Was this true happiness?

"We can in just a minute. I want to introduce you to some of the girls first."

Misty nodded and headed off to the front door of the home with a purpose. Cordelia watched as all the pupils filed in first and she made sure the she was the last one in, behind Misty. When they came in, and the lights came on, Cordelia heard the catch in Misty's breath.

"All of you, them, those girls. They go here?" She asked quietly, her gaze sweeping right to left across the room.

"Remember when you said that you'd be great when you found your tribe?" Zoe asked, motioning to the girls that lined the stairs, floors, and rooms that spanned the home.

"Welcome home, Misty Day. Here is your new tribe. I, along with two hundred other witches, promise on my very soul that you will never, ever be alone again in your life. You hear me?" Cordelia offered, with a simple hand on her back.

"Oh my gosh, Miss Cordelia. There's so many. This is our tribe, our coven?"

"They sure are. And, they all want to meet the legendary Misty Day." Cordelia walked her into the crowd as girls started to grasp their hands and issue embraces.

"Why me though?"

"Because any witch that gets Cordelia Goode to wear a maxi dress and run barefoot through the swamp, must be more powerful than any supreme around." Zoe joked as the whole room erupted in laughter, the tension vanquished from everyone.

"I'd reckon," Misty chuckled.

 _She rings like a bell through the night and_

 _Wouldn't you love to love her?_

 _She rules her life like a bird in flight and_

 _Who will be her lover?_


End file.
